Engine-lubrication system



July 22, 1930. 5. J. BOUGHTON 1,771,158

ENGINE LUBRICATiON SYSTEI Filed Feb. 23, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 2.2, 1930- s. J. BOUGHTON ,77

ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEI Filed Feb. 23, 1927 4 ShO OtS-Shfiflt 2 I'VENTOR.

JulyZZ, 1930. 5. J. YBOUGHITON 1,771,158

ENGINE LUBRIGATION' SYSTEI Filed Feb. 23, 1927 4 Shouts-Sheet 3 22,1930- 5. J. BOUGHTON 1 1,771,158

ENGINE LUBRICATION SYTBI Filed Feb. 25, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 i \l l. i l l C J IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 22, 1930.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SOLON J. BOUGHTON, or TOLEDO, OHIO, Assrenon'ro THE wILLYs-ovEnnAND com- PANY, on roLnn onio, A ooRPoRATIoN'oF OHIO v ENGINE-LUBRICATION SYSTEM AppIication filed February 23, 1927. Serial No. 170,200.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to lubrie cation of internal combustion engines of the sleeve valvetype. I

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a sleeve valve engine, in which the sleeve lubricant is prevented from entering the combustion chamber of'the engine.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a sleeve valve engine with a means for removing excessive amounts of lubricant from the sleeves, and returning it to the crankcase. V V

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve sleeve for an internal combustion engine that maybe used as a fluid pump.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sleeve valve engine,in which the movement of the sleeves'is utilizedjfor controlling the oil supply.

Other objects will appearfrom the description to follow, in conjunction with which, for the purp'osesof the present application'I have illustrated one embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings which may be preferred, inwhich Figure I is a front elevation, partlyin section, of a portion of a sleeve valve engine embodying the invention.

Fig. II is a view similar to Fig. I in which the outer sleeve is shown in its highestposition.

Fig. III shows the engine with the outer sleeve in the lowest position. i

Fig. IV is a detail of the inner sleeve.

Fig. V is a detail of the outer sleeve.

Fig. VI is a'detail of the piston.

Referring to the drawings in which like characters refer to like parts, through the views, 1 is a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, in which reciprocates piston 2. Interposed between piston 2 and cylinder 1 are inner valve sleeve 3 and outer valve sleeve 4, which are provided with inlet ports 5 and eccentric shaft l0through connecting rods 11 6 respectively, each having exhaust ports 7 and '12, the sleeves having their respective eccentrics displaced slightly with respect to eachother, in order to move the sleeves'relative to each other as wellas cylinder 1. Sleeve valve engines, similar to the one described, are well known in the art, and create lubrication problems that are not present in the poppet valve type. The engine suction present in cylinder 1 during the intake stroke of piston 2, causesoil which ordinarily exists as an oil mist in crank case 13, to be drawn up between the sleeves 3 and 4 andbetween the outer sleeve 4 and cylinder 1, into the combustion chamber 14 of the engine. It is desirable to check this oil flow before it rewhes inlet ports 5 and 6, and to secure this result I propose using the outer sleeve as anoil pump. Cylinder 1 has its outerend enlarged at 16 to provide a pump cylinder, the preferredform being a counterbore concentric with the main bore, but if desired any other form of recess may be'used. Outer sleeve 4 has an'enlarged collar portion 17 which fits within counterbore 16 in lapped relation thereto, and is provided with compression rings 18. The reciprocation of the sleeve causes the annular space 20 above collar 17 to vary in volume, and act as a lubricantpump. An oil inlet fromthe outer sleeve surface is provided by forming a groove 22 therein which preferably communicates with a cross groove 23 extending circumferential- 1y ofsleeve 4 beneath inlet ports 6. Groove 22 iscontinued downwardly to approximate ly the shoulder 24 of collar 17, so that it is at all times in communication with space 20. An opening 25 is provided in sleeve 4, adj acent shoulder 24 which forms the outlet to the pump space 20. Inner sleeve 8 is provided with an opening 26 which periodically registers with opening 25 for controlling the oil discharge. It may be noted that the skirt 27 of piston 2 coversopening 26, and to guard against piston 2 obstructing thefreeflow of oil from the sleeve outlet, I prefer to locate the usual piston slots 28 and 30 in line with or adjacentto theinnersleeve opening 26. Inner sleeve 3 is also provided with a short verticalgroove 31 whichcauses the registration of openings 25 and 26 to be eifective over a greater period of time, and a cross groove 32 beneath inlet ports 5 Which communicates with outer sleeve groove 22 by means of vertical groove 33 and an opening 3 1 through the wall of outer sleeve 4. The usual oil dis tribution grooves 35 may be used on those portions of the sleeve surface that will not register with the before-mentioned passages and openings.

In the operation of the engine, inner sleeve 3 reciprocates slightly in advance of the outer sleeve 4 as may be seen in the diagrammatic showing of the sleeve eccentrics in Figs. II and III. From the position shown in Fig. II both sleeves are moving downwardly, opening 25 is sealed by the body portion of sleeve 3, and any oil which may have collected on the outer sleeve surface is drawn downwardly from grooves 23 and 22 into the annular space 20. Moreover, oil from the surface of the inner sleeve is drawn from grooves 32 and 33 through opening 34 into the outer sleeve groove 22, and into the space 20.

Outer sleeve 4 descends to the position shown in Fig. III at which position the inner sleeve 3 has moved upwardly and groove 31 has uncovered the pump outlet opening 25. From the position shown in Fig. III outer sleeve t moves upwardly, and oil is forced out of space through outer sleeve opening and inner sleeve opening 26 onto piston 2. In the position shown in Fig. III piston 3 has that portion immediately below the head 36 covering the inner sleeve opening 26, but pistons are ordinarily reduced in size at this point and shortly thereafter the more rapidly moving piston has reached a position where slots and 28 register with opening 26 and the oil may freely discharge into the crankcase 13. Groove 22 is at all timesin communication with the pump space 20, but the openings 25 and 26 are larger, and the ma or portion of the oil is discharged through the more direct passageway formed by the larger openings, in preference to the more tortuous, smaller passageways forming the pump inlet. The upward motion of both sleeves continues until substantially the posit1on shown in Fig. I, at which position inner sleeve 3 is descending, but the outlet 25 is still open because of groove 31. This outlet remains open until substantially the uppermost position of outer sleeve 4 as shown in Fig. II, and the suction stroke is resumed as before.

It may readily be seen from the foregoing description that I have provided a sleeve valve engine, with an integral pump which acts to draw excessive lubricant from beneath the inlet ports, and which prevents the oil on the sleeve surfaces from entering the combustion chamber to the detriment of the proper working of the engine.

While I have illustrated and described, somewhat in detail, one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this showing and description are illustrative only, and that I do not regard my invention as limited to the details of construction illustrated and described, except in so far as I have included such limitations within the terms of the following claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention, broadly as well as specifically.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, a reciprocating valve sleeve therein, said cylinder having a recess therein, said valve sleeve having an enlarged portion in lapped relation to the walls of said recess, means forming a passageway on said sleeve communicating with said recess for permitting ingress of fluids from the sleeve surface into said recess, means forming an outlet passageway from said recess, and valving mean-s for one of said passageways.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having a bore and counterbore, a reciprocating sleeve within said bore having an enlarged cylindrical portion in lapped relation to the walls of said counterbore, means forming a passageway on said sleeve communicating with said counterbore for permitting ingress of fluids from the surface of said sleeve into said recess thereto, means forming an outlet passageway from said counterbore, and valving means for one of said passageways.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having a recess therein, a reciprocating sleeve Within said cylinder having an enlarged portion in lapped relation to the walls of said recess, means forming a passageway on said sleeve communicating with said recess for permitting ingress of fluids from the surface of said sleeve into said recess, means forming an outlet passage from said recess, and valving means for said outlet passage.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having a recess therein, a pair of concentric reciprocating valve sleeves within said cylinder, the outer of said sleeves having an enlarged portion thereon in lapped relation to the walls of said recess, means forming a passageway on said outer sleeve communicating with said recess, said outer sleeve having an opening therethrough forming an outlet from said recess, and said inner sleeve acting as a valve to open and close said outlet.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having a bore and a counterbore, a pair of concentric reciprocating valve sleeves within said bore, the outer of said sleeves having a collar thereon in lapped relation to said counterbore, means forming a passageway on said outer sleeve communicating with said counterbore, said outer sleeve having an opening therethrough forming an outlet from said counterbore, and

said inner sleeve acting as a valve to open and close said outlet.

6. In an internal combustion engine," the combination of a cylinder having a bore and a counterbore, a pair of concentric reciprocating valve sleeves within said cylinder bore, the outer of said sleeves having a collar thereon in lapped relation to said counterbore, means forming a passageway on said outer sleeve communicating with said counterbore, an opening in the wall of said outer sleeve above said collar for permitting fluids from between said sleeves to enter said passageway, a second opening adjacent said collar forming an outlet for said counterbore, and valving means for said outlet.

7. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having a bore and a counterbore, a concentric sleeve within said bore having a collar thereon in lapped relation to the walls of said counterbore, said sleeve having port-s above said collar, means forming a passageway on said sleeve communicating with said counterbore, said passageway extending upwardly toward said ports, means forming a second passageway communicating with said first passageway, said second passageway extending circumferentially of said sleeve beneath said ports,

and said counterbore having a valved'outlet therefor.

8. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having a bore and a counterbore, a pair of concentric valve sleeves within said bore, the outer of said sleeves having a collar thereon in lapped relation to the walls of said counterbore, said outer sleeve having ports above said collar, means forming a passageway on said sleeve communicating with said counterbore, means forming a second passageway communicating with said first passageway, said second passageway extending circumferentially of said sleeve beneath said ports, said outer sleeve having an opening therethrough forming an outlet for said counterbore, and the inner of said sleeves acting as a valve to open and close said outlet.

9. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having a bore and a counterbore, a pair of concentric valve sleeves within said bore, the outer of said sleeves having a collar thereon in lapped relation to the walls of said counterbore, means forming a passageway on said outer sleeve communicating with said counterbore, said outer sleeve having an opening therein forming an outlet from said counterbore and the inner of said sleeves having an opening therein adapted to register with said outer sleeve opening during the upstroke of said outer sleeve.

10. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination of'a cylinder having a bore and a count-erbore, a pair of concentric valve sleeves within said bore, theouter of said sleeves having a collar thereon in lapped relation to the walls of said counterbore, means forming a passagewayon said outer sleeve communicating withsaid counterbore, the inner of'said sleeves'having an opening there.- in adapted to register with said outer sleeve opening during the upstroke of saidouter sleeve, a. reciprocating piston having a head within said inner sleeve covering said inner sleeve opening during a portion of its stroke, and an opening in said piston below said head for preventing said piston from obstructing said innersleeve opening.

11. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having a recess therein, a reciprocating valve sleeve within said cylinder having an enlarged portion in lapped relation to said recess for forming a fluid pump, said pump having an outlet passage and a constantly open inlet passage and valving means for closing said outlet passage during the suction stroke of the pump.

12; In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder having a recess therein, a pair of concentric reciprocating valve sleeves within said cylinder, the outer of said sleeves having an enlarged portion in lapped relation to the walls of said recess for forming a fluid pump, said outer sleeve having means forming a passageway thereon in constant communication with said pump for forming an inlet thereto, said outer sleeve having an opening therein forming an outlet from said pump, and said inner sleeve actingas a valve to close the outlet during the suction stroke of the pump.

13. A valve sleeve for an internal combustion engine, comprising a cylindrical portion, a portion projecting beyond the cylindrical portion adapted to act as a pump piston, and means forming a passageway on the surface of said sleeve adapted to form a pump inlet. I

14. A valve sleeve for an internal combustion engine, comprising a cylindrical portion, a portion projecting beyond the cylindrical portion adapted to act as a pump piston, means forming a passageway on the the surface of said sleeve adapted to form a pump inlet, and an opening in said sleeve adapted to form a pump outlet.

15. A sleeve valve for internal combustion engine cylinders comprising a cylindrical member of uniform diameter and an enlarged portion unitary with the cylindrical member, adapted to be disposed within the cylinder, said cylindrical portion having an aperture adjacent the enlarged portion.

16. A sleeve valve for internal combustion engines comprising a cylindrical portion of uniform diameter having a channeled outer surface and an aperture for maintaining communication with the inner surface, and said sleeve being provided with an enlarged portion unitary with the cylindrical portion adapted to slidably engage the cylinder, said cylindrical portion having a second aperture therein adjacent the enlarged portion, communicatively associated with the first mentioned aperture.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature.

SOLON J. BOUGHTON. 

